The East Texas Crisis Center is working to start a men's group aimed at preventing domestic violence through personal and peer accountability. Cannon Roberts, coordinator of the center's Battering Intervention and Prevention Program (BIPP), discussed the effort at a men's breakfast at Dayspring Methodist Church in Tyler.
Roberts said domestic violence is often seen as a women's issue, but he said men commit the violence in roughly 99% of cases. He said men need to hold themselves and each other accountable, including by speaking up about inappropriate jokes and comments before they lead to physical abuse.
The crisis center offers 28-week, state-certified BIPP courses in Tyler, Athens and Canton. Classes meet weekly with up to 15 men per session and focus on empathy, relationship dynamics and accepting consequences. Many participants attend as a condition of probation or parole, and voluntary enrollment is also available. Roberts said the work can be difficult but that progress is visible. He cited state statistics showing that most men who complete the 28-week program do not reoffend.